Hot Summer! Hollyoaks star triumphs as Lloyd Webber's new Maria in Sound of Music | Daily Mail Online Hot Summer! Hollyoaks star triumphs as Lloyd Webber's new Maria in Sound of Music Last updated at 13:15 04 March 2008 How do you solve a problem like replacing Connie Fisher? Turn to television, of course. In his bravest experiment yet, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber merged fiction with fact to introduce his new Maria via the teenage soap opera Hollyoaks. Instead of repeating the idea of holding the TV reality show auditions that made his Sound of Music musical such a hit, the composer worked with Channel 4 for months on a storyline in which he infiltrated his protégé Summer Strallen into the cast as a showbiz wannabe. Scroll down for more...

No problem: The Sound of Summer is here as Hollyoaks star Summer Strallen takes the reins as the new Maria in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Sound of Music last night, at the London Palladium Cast away: Summer takes a bow onstage at the London Palladium after a successful first performance He even made a cameo appearance on the serial when her character stalked him and demanded the chance to prove she could make it in the West End. The 23-year-old was "given" the part - and last night the curtain went up for the first time. Did the gamble pay off? Lord Lloyd Webber is utterly convinced. He said: "She's wonderful. It's a corny thing to say but we had the most fantastic spring with Connie and I think we're going to have a glorious Summer." Scroll down for more... Teen star: Summer with Lloyd Webber and her former colleagues on the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks Backstage: An overjoyed Summer with her Hollyoaks pals after her first performance in the role of Maria His wife, Madeleine, claimed her husband's bold idea had left the younger generation for dust.

"Andrew at [nearly] 60 is coming up with the ideas that younger producers should be having," she said. The critics were divided, however. The show was given just two stars by the Evening Standard's Nicholas de Jongh in his review below. But Charles Spencer of The Daily Telegraph was in raptures and called Strallen "an utter delight". Scroll down for more... Gamble: Lord Lloyd Webber said Summer is 'wonderful' in the role and is convinced his gamble has paid off Robert Gore Langton in the Daily Mail said she had confidence, depth and charm but "made a terrible start". After the show Strallen said: "I feel great. I'm very pleased with tonight. I did my best and hopefully that will be good enough. I can begin to enjoy it now." Scroll down for more... Glamorous: Summer, seen here at the after-party for her first night with sisters Zizzy, left and Sassy, right, said she was pleased with her performance and was ready to start enjoying it now She said when she won the role, she was forced to sign an agreement that meant keeping it from her mother and sisters - including Mary Poppins star Scarlet.

"The first part of it [in Hollyoaks] was a bit crazy," she said. "I knew in July I was going to play Maria but I couldn't tell anybody." Her aunt Bonnie Langford said the family were all immensely proud. "We know how to work. We're not starry. We know that tomorrow they have to do another show." Musical heritage: Summer comes from a musical dynasty which includes aunt Bonnie Langford Meet the Sound of Music's new Captain von Trapp... Simon MacCorkindale | London Evening Standard Meet the Sound of Music's new Captain von Trapp... Simon MacCorkindale Thursday 21 August 2008 23:54 BST Click to follow ES Entertainment Simon MacCorkindale will, I suspect, make a rather good Captain von Trapp; not least because he appears to share some of the characteristics of The Sound Of Music's famously stern Austrian paterfamilias. There's the brisk, martial manner for starters, a certain lack of levity and an absolute absence of sentimentality.

Simon, who takes over the captain's role in the hit West End musical on Monday, is rehearsing the part with his habitual fastidious attention to detail when I arrive at the London Palladium to meet him. Simon MacCorkindale, who is set to take over the role of Captain von Trapp in the West End musical the Sound of Music on Monday, with wife Susan George Simon MacCorkindale, who is set to take over the role of Captain von Trapp in the West End musical the Sound of Music on Monday, with wife Susan George I imagine all but the flintiest of hearts would be touched when they hear him sing Edelweiss. Does he find the song moving? 'Structurally the piece is well-placed,' he says. 'It is a very well-constructed emotional moment.' Yes, but did it make you cry? 'I'm in an analytical phase. I'm in the process of working through the production so every bit is being scrutinised,' he says, as if carrying out a forensic examination. So you're not easily moved to tears then? 'Um, no. I like to be in control.

Period.' It comes as little surprise to learn that Simon toyed with a military career before hitting on the notion of acting. His late father Peter, an RAF group captain then station commander, encouraged his son's early aspirations for a career in the Services. Simon favoured the RAF, but when he failed an eyesight test, he veered off in a wildly different direction and settled on drama school instead. His father was initially horrified. 'In Dad's perception, actors spent a lot of time unemployed,' he says. 'Then, of course, there were all the stories about sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Which,' he adds hastily, 'are for the large part not true.' In fact, far from a riot of hedonism, he sees many parallels between the acting profession and life in the Armed Forces. 'Military life is all about order and discipline, which are very much the qualities you need as an actor,' he says. 'You have to marshal your mind and body, and coming to work is a discipline. Punctuality, preparation and dedication are all vital.

You can no more take time off from a show for your mum's birthday than you could if you were on secondment to Afghanistan with the Army.' So we can rest assured that Simon's attention will not be deflected from the task in hand. He will be staying in London for much of the duration of his run in The Sound Of Music, as a four-hour commute to his home in Exmoor, Somerset, is untenable. This means that he will miss the company of his wife Susan George, the actress-turned-horse-breeder, who held the enviable title Sexiest Woman In The World in the Sixties. Summer Strallen, who will play Maria alongside the new Captain von Trapp played by MacCorkindale Summer Strallen, who will play Maria alongside the new Captain von Trapp played by MacCorkindale He finds such separations difficult. 'I miss not being at home enormously,' he says. 'It's the tough part of the job. But you relish the time you have together more.' So, protracted absences keep the flame of passion alive? 'Of course, they do! Such things make life richer.' He warms to this theme.

'You enjoy everything more when you've stepped out of your comfort zone to get it; if you strive or wait, it's that bit more satisfying.' Work has enforced other separations. When Simon, now 56, played dashing medic Harry Harper in BBC's enduring hospital drama Casualty for three series, he kept a pied-a-terre in Bristol, where the production is filmed. Susan, meanwhile, stayed on the farm caring for the 50 Arabian horses from which she breeds. But her first profession was acting - she made her name in the controversial Sam Peckinpah movie Straw Dogs - and I wonder if she hankers after it. 'The jobs I've been doing have been very time-consuming,' explains Simon. 'It's made it hard for me to be available to look after the farm. But we've never been professional competitors. I don't think Susan believes that what she's doing is a compromise. She was an internationally recognised movie star. Now she wants to be recognised as a world-class breeder of Arabian horses.' Another thing Susan is celebrated for is having dated Britain's then most eligible bachelor in her youth.

Prince Charles invited her to his 30th birthday party, a brief romance - about which she has remained silent - ensued and they have remained friends. Was the Prince a hard act to follow? 'That's irrelevant,' says Simon, a touch peevishly. 'Prince Charles is an exceptional human being and it's a great privilege that we're friends. He's a man who cares very deeply about so many issues - and he's done a great job bringing up his kids.' So do Simon and Susan drop by for tea at Highgrove? I jest. Andrew Lloyd webber, third from right, with Summer and cast from teen soap Hollyoaks. Summer was planted in the soap as a wannabe West End star before she took over the role of Maria from Connie Fisher Andrew Lloyd webber, third from right, with Summer and cast from teen soap Hollyoaks. Summer was planted in the soap as a wannabe West End star before she took over the role of Maria from Connie Fisher 'One does not "drop by" for tea with Royal people,' he replies, as if correcting a genuine social solecism. 'We do not seek any kind of acolyte attachment.

We get on with our lives and we are very pleased when we are invited.' I wonder if, what with Susan's Sexiest Woman title and a clutch of celebrity suitors including George Best and Jimmy Connors, Simon ever felt it would be a challenge to keep her? 'It never crossed my mind,' he says. 'You go into a relationship because you believe in each other.' Certainly, the marriage has endured. Next year, he and Susan celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. 'We always mark anniversaries and we will do something special for that one,' he says. Will they grow old together? 'Yes! This show will run and run,' he says. 'Who better to grow old with than your best friend? We're very compatible.' The secret of their marriage's longevity is that they are 'best mates' he says. Indeed, they were friends for five years before they began a romance. Simon was married to, though separated from, the actress Fiona Fullerton when he met Susan. He'd married Fiona when he was 24 and had yet to achieve career success.

However, within two years of marrying he earned international acclaim in the 1978 film Death On The Nile, for which he won a Most Promising Film Actor award. After his marriage to Fiona began to crumble, and lured by Hollywood, he left to pursue a career in the U.S. for six years. He once remarked that he regretted his decision to 'cut and run.' Today, he says: 'We were two young people who got on very well, but the evidence was that the marriage wasn't going to last, so I left. It wasn't a mistake. I don't believe in mistakes. Sometimes you just move on.' From the 1965 film, Julie Andrews, who played Maria, and Christopher Plummer, who played Captain von Trapp From the 1965 film, Julie Andrews, who played Maria, and Christopher Plummer, who played Captain von Trapp Aside from acting, he has a parallel career as a TV director and producer and he and Susan have their own production companies, Anglo Films International and Amy International Artists. So what with the horses as well, life must be pretty busy. They have not had children, neither were there any from his first marriage.

'It just didn't happen. There's nothing to talk about,' he says, perhaps a little too quickly. 'But now I've got dozens,' he says, referring to his von Trapp role. 'It's great. I have all the nice bits, then they go home to their mums and dads.' Has it awakened any latent paternal feelings? 'No more than anything in acting. No more than playing an 18th-century pirate awakens a desire to be a swashbuckler. I'm very realistic. I don't hanker after things I don't have. I live pretty much in the moment. This is what I am. This is what I have.' Here he goes again, sounding just like brusque, no-nonsense Georg von Trapp as he was at the start of The Sound Of Music. But, as we all know, the widowed sea captain has a tender side, too. (It just has to be exhumed by a scatty ex-nun called Maria with the voice of an angel.) There are hints that Simon, too - while not enamoured of a singing nun - has a softer side beneath that stiff-upper-lip exterior.

For years he and Susan cared for her elderly parents, then for her ailing sister, all of whom have since died, at their home. 'Families should look after their sick and elderly parents,' he says. 'People farm them out to homes, but they should stick together.' It is such sentiments that speak of his genuine kindness. He laments, too, the loss of his own dad who had Alzheimer's and who died, aged 83, last year. 'It was not a distressing decline in so far as he was very calm and happy,' says Simon. 'His awareness of things around him was negligible, but he was never fretful. Alzheimer's is a disease that can leave people in a miserable state, but he was very well nursed and he had a joyous spirit.' There is much, however, to celebrate. His mum Gill is still bright and independent, and since he passed the watermark age of 50, Simon's career has burgeoned. It has encompassed theatre, film and TV - from Shakespeare to U.S. soaps - and he believes it 'arrogant and smallminded' to dismiss the latter as 'mediocre art forms'.

He draws the line at some things, however, notably Big Brother. Susan George, who is married to MacCorkindale, in her heyday aged 17. She was voted Sexiest Woman In The World in the sixties Susan George, who is married to MacCorkindale, in her heyday aged 17. She was voted Sexiest Woman In The World in the sixties 'It's like throwing Christians to the lions: the final stage of decadence, the last stop before oblivion. I despise it. I feel very strongly that TV has a moral responsibility not to fill the airways with this vacuous stuff.' He also has misgivings about the TV talent shows that propel unknowns into the limelight. One such show, indeed, discovered Connie Fisher, the first Maria in this acclaimed production of The Sound Of Music. 'Connie was, for me, pretty much a hands- down winner from the start,' he says. 'But on some of these shows, you hear these guys singing week after week. You know where they came from; what they had for breakfast.

Their whole life is eclipsed into a 12-week series, so they're almost as well known as your own family by the end. There are no surprises left.' His own Maria is played by Bonnie Langford's niece Summer Strallen - she took over the part from Connie - whose route into the show was unconventional. As part of a sophisticated publicity campaign Summer was 'planted' in the teen soap Hollyoaks as the character Summer Shaw who was also vying for the role of Maria. Just as the fictional Summer won the part, the real-life Summer made her debut in the London stage production. How does her co-star view her unusual entrance into West End stardom? 'I love to see people with such talent getting an opportunity,' says Simon. 'Summer was given the part and she plays it exceptionally well. I have no problem with the process by which she got here.' As Simon takes over the role immortalised by Christopher Plummer in the 1965 multi-Oscar winning film, I wonder what memories he has of the movie. His answer is a surprise: he must be one of only a handful of people in Britain who hasn't actually watched it. 'I don't know if I ever saw it,' he says vaguely.

'I've a feeling I might have seen bits of it. I've some images from it in my mind. But that's it.' • The Sound of Music is now booking until February 2009. Tickets are available from the London Palladium box office on 0870 890 1108 or visit More about: Hollyoaks (Series) - TV Tropes Cruel and Unusual Death : Poor Sarah Barnes dies after her parachute failed to open. She's screaming as she plummets to the ground, and the camera only pulls away at the last minute. Makes matters worse by the fact it was her ex-girlfriend Lydia who tampered with it, even if it wasn't intended for Sarah. The circle of blood on the cornfield at the end just says it all. Andy Holt ran into a sharpened pole after running away from Mel, who was getting her own back for all the rapes he had committed by giving him the same drug he'd given his victims. Alistair Longford, India and Texas' elderly grandfather, dies after falling off a mountain. Though given he was on holiday with his young wife Cindy at the time, it's unsure of whether he just 'fell'..

Tina McQueen dies in an explosion set off by her psychotic half brother Niall. Not only is she the lone member of the family to die, she was one of the two Myra reluctantly asked to be spared (Niall demanded she could only save two). Heidi Costello ends up strangled to death by her own father, Silas, in a case of mistaken identity. In the confusion of the bus-crash, Neil is assumed to have died but is later revealed to have been merely knocked unconscious. He wakes up as the bus has caught fire, begging Maddie to help him free himself, only for her to callously leave him... and then the bus explodes. Leading to some Laser-Guided Karma when the explosion causes one of the doors to come crashing down on Maddie's head, killing her instantly. Callum Kane gets a violent, bloody, painful and humiliating death when Jade sneaks up on him and impales him with a samurai sword. Curse : Rae believes that her family is 'cursed' because her two older sisters both died before they were eighteen. Appears to be tragically true as Rae is murdered by Silas not long after her nineteenth birthday.

Tom Cunningham seems to be suffering one, as the resident Doom Magnet . D to F Daddy DNA Test : Comes into play during most paternity disputes on the show. Dean Bitter Man : Patrick Blake can barely hide his contempt for his students, staff, and pretty much everyone else connected to Hollyoaks High. Subverted with his successor Sally St Claire; she's initially presented as this, but it soon becomes apparent that she's more of a Stern Teacher . Death by Looking Up : Maddie is killed by a door that flew off a nearby mini-bus when it exploded. Her friends shout a warning, and she looks up just in time to be crushed by it. Deceased Fall-Guy Gambit : Both Mercedes and Paul Browning are acquitted after they claim that it was Riley who attempted to murder Mercedes and killed Lynsey. Apparently last minute allegations and a complete lack of evidence are more than enough to convince the jury! Freddie tries to pin Fraser Black's murder on the recently deceased Sam Lomax by planting evidence and a faked confession.

Subverted with Justin being blamed for Macki's murder, since when he tries to tell the truth (that the real killer is Ali, who was run over and killed by a car as he tried to escape from the scene) everyone thinks he's pulling this trope. Destination Defenestration : Texas dies when she's pushed out of a window on her wedding day. Died in Your Arms Tonight : Jono dies of a blood clot while laying in his girlfriend Ruby's arms. After being hit by a car on his wedding day, Max dies in the arms of his best friend and Heterosexual Life-Partner , OB. In a more disturbing example of this trope, Ash dies in Will's arms shortly after she discovers that he's a dangerous murderer who has been lying about being unable to walk. He also attempted to strangle her shortly before the explosion takes her life. When Carmel and Jim plan to run away together because Jim's life is in danger from Fraser Black, Carmel arrives at the station to find that Jim has been fatally stabbed. He then dies in her arms. Early in the series' run, Dawn Cunningham died in her true love Jambo's arms.

Disabled Love Interest : Hayley Ramsey and Pete Hamill are both in wheelchairs, and no less stunning than the rest of the cast. Especially in universe; Josh and Rhys Ashworth are both attracted to Hayley, and Ruby has a crush on her Headmaster Pete. Disposable Vagrant : Dale, a homeless traumatised ex-soldier who rescued Warren from a burning building. Warren repaid this by stabbing Dale and throwing him back into the burning building while he was still alive and conscious so that Warren would be able to fake his own death. That was evil even by Warren's standards, but as nobody else knew who Dale was it was barely mentioned again. Well, that and the whole storyline was an Ass Pull to explain why Warren was Back from the Dead in the first place. Disproportionate Retribution : After a short lived relationship that she wasn't really into, Ruby Button decides to punish Ricky for dumping her by text by planting cannabis in his school bag. She goes one step further by getting Sinead to tell the Headmaster she had seen a knife at school, thus making sure everyone's bags were searched.

Ruby strikes again when Nancy interrupts her study session with Pete; the headmaster she has an obvious crush on. Nancy was relying on a good reference from Pete to obtain her dream job, so Ruby steals his phone, and when the call comes, gives her a bad reference instead. Domestic Abuse : A past storyline focused on Ste abusing his girlfriend Amy. He beat her, cut off her long hair , and lied about their daughter having cancer to get money from people. The tables were later turned with Ste being beaten by Brendan, though Amy was quite sympathetic towards him, and tried to help. Maxine and Patrick's domestic abuse storyline was used in a government campaign with the actors filming special PSAs as well as tie-in material with the show. It was also explained that Patrick had been abusive to his first wife Anna. Driven to Suicide : Lewis Richardson in an early storyline for the show. Esther Bloom attempted suicide due to school bullying, but survived. Drugs Are Bad : Fletch & Sasha's slow descent into heroin addiction, complete with sleeping with creepy dealer Nige in exchange for smack. Charlotte falls off a wall and is apparently paralyzed for life after taking drugs just once.

Justin Burton's casual pot use dramatically evolves into hard drug addiction and violence, including stealing from his family, involvement in crime, and beating up his own mother. Many of Bart McQueen's storylines had this behind them. His pot smoking got him and other members of the family arrested, led to Sinead dumping him (and later cheating on him), and was a factor in the Wedding Bus Crash that killed four people (as he drove while stoned and chased after the bus with his car.) Dude, Not Funny! : Invoked by Esther in regards to a cruel Halloween prank, where she was conned into meeting a made-up girl, who claimed she was being followed, before suddenly screaming and the phone cutting off. Given that several high-profile murders of young women have occurred in Hollyoaks in just the last 2 years, is it any wonder that Esther literally pissed herself in utter terror? Dull Surprise : Possibly due to Tony Hutchinson being one of the most boring men on the planet. Dumb Blonde : Carmel McQueen. Her cousin Theresa can also count at times.

Eagleland : The Type 1 version is often referenced in the show, as it is a standard place where characters escape to upon leaving the show (including Jason Costello, and Mitzeee and Carl.) Early Installment Weirdness : The 90s episodes mostly focused on the same gang of characters, while occasionally doing storylines about their families or outsider characters. In other words, it was far less the traditional kind of soap opera it is now. Furthermore, it was very tame until its first death scene in 96, and from then on it started to take itself more seriously. Easy Sex Change : Largely averted. Jason Costello's transition is shown to be a lengthy process involving counselling, adapting socially, and starting on hormone blockers before he begins full hormone therapy. Blessing gets a date for surgery very quickly (though she has been living publicly as a woman for more than a year by this stage) but also has to have counselling beforehand, and the doctor cancels her surgery after deciding that Blessing is not psychologically ready.

Sally St Claire transitioned several years before her arrival on the show and the process isn't discussed, but she still makes it clear to John Paul that she did not have an easy time of it. Elopement : Jono and Ruby planned to elope to Gretna Green because Jono was about to be deployed with the army. Embarrassing First Name : Dr Browning (full name Shirley Paul Browning) considered his given name this, and went by Paul. Enemy Mine : Blessing and Tegan have a moment of this when Tegan steps in to defend Blessing from transphobic bullying during the debate to decide which of them will be appointed president of the Student Union. Enfante Terrible : Holly Cunningham hax shades of this when she was younger, it isn't surprising given who her mother is. However she grew up to become a kind and reasonable teenager. Persephone Hart is a more straightforward example, she lies and bullies, and accuses Sarah Barnes of hitting her when she was just kindly telling her off. English Rose : How the show's official site describes Texas. Lampshaded by the opening sequence, in which she is shown throwing rose petals at the camera.

Estranged Soap Family : Plenty of examples through the years. John-Paul didn't return to attend his sister's wedding, Debbie didn't attend Steph's funeral, Melody Longford was nowhere to be seen at Texas's funeral (despite having travelled down for India's), and Jem Costello hasn't been sighted despite the fact her step mother was murdered. Justified at Rhys's funeral, where Hannah's absence is explained as her being too ill to attend because the stress caused her to come down with shingles. Even Evil Has Standards : Warren Fox, surprisingly. When he got drunk with Justin Burton, and they began comparing their past crimes, Justin bragged about how he lied to the police about Becca Dean sleeping with him when he was 15. Warren immediately expressed disgust, which immediately escalated to outright anger when Justin feebly tried to defend his actions as just because Becca had dumped him. Silas shows shades of this when he's about to strangle Theresa. It's revealed that her baby daughter Kathleen-Angel is there, and Silas backs off, despite being able to easily overpower the child. Everyone Loves Blondes : At one point, most of the female cast is blonde.

When Toby started killing attractive blondes, one character lampshaded the show's casting of blondes. Evil Is Hammy : Silas, so very much. Then there's Brendan Brady and Clare Devine . The actors playing them, Jeff Rawle, Emmett J. Scanlan and Gemma Bissix respectively, all looked like they were having a lot of fun. Extreme Doormat : Oh, Esther, will you ever stand up for yourself against your "friends?" Unlikely, even if three of them are now dead... Faceï¿½Heel Turn : Over the course of a year, Sam Owen went from a withdrawn law student previously falsely imprisoned on charges of arson, to a serial date rapist, before coming full circle & setting The Dog In The Pond on fire; killing himself & four others in the process. Will Savage went from a kind, socially awkward geek into a murderous psychopath with a severe older brother complex. He faked a fall down a set of stairs, after having been lightly pushed by Texas in a fit of anger, and has pretended to rely on a wheelchair ever since.

He then went on to kill his fiancée, his own mother, and attempted to kill his second fiancée before he was interrupted. Faking the Dead : Jack, aided by Darren, as a desperate last measure to get out of the debt he was in. Joe went through a similar storyline, and even pretended to be a corpse in one episode. Ironically, this was one of his last major storylines before his actual death in a fire. Myra McQueen. When she returns to the village, Frankie publicly confronts her in the pub and asks what Myra has to say for herself, to which Myra responds "thanks for the cracking funeral!" Mercedes faked her own death in conjunction with Grace Black, in order to frame Freddie for killing Mercedes. He actually managed to get Grace arrested on suspicion of murder, so Trevor forced Mercedes to come back. Family Relationship Switcheroo : Peri Lomax was raised as Sam and Danny's daughter, but her "sister" Leela turns out to be her mother. Dodger turns out to be Nico's father and her uncle, as he and Sienna had slept together as teenagers without being aware of each other's identity.

Jacqui and Theresa McQueen are introduced as cousins, but find out they're also sisters; Jacqui's father had slept with Theresa's mother. The same thing happens with Rhys Ashworth turning out to be Josh and Hannah's brother as well as their cousin. The Fashionista : Esther, who enjoys designing clothes, is seen trying on a dress in the opening sequence, and aspired to go to the London College of Fashion until she failed her A-Levels. Blessing is heavily into clothes, makeup and fashion mags, and always going shopping for more. Sarah Barnes Fat Girl : Chloe Bruce, whose actress even named her autobiography The Fat Girl From Hollyoaks. Final Girl : Lynsey in the Silas storyline. She was the only character intelligent enough to figure out Silas was behind the murders, though nobody believed her , and Silas had a special obsession with her, considering her the "queen" in his chess game. She eventually defeated Silas in his initial reign of terror and even came close to killing him once after she hit him with a rock. Sadly, like some Final Girls, Lynsey was killed off at the beginning of the 'sequel' where the serial killer returns.

Forgotten Fallen Friend : While this is common in most soaps, Hollyoaks takes this into overdrive as even if they were a very close friend/partner/lover and died tragically, nobody often seems to actually remember them at all! Averted with Nancy who often mentions her sister Becca, while Chez took the death of Lyns very hard. Averted with Jono and Maddie, who are frequently referred to by Ruby and Sinead during their bullying of Esther. Played straight in that they seem to forget Neil, who arguably had the worst death of the lot! Mercedes is terrible for this. Two of her past husbands have died, one of her past lovers has also died, and she never seems to care one bit about them. It's surprisingly anyone is willing to hook up with her, given her track record. After Jim is suddenly murdered, Carmel tells Sonny that she can't be with him out of respect for both Jim and Calvin (with Sonny agreeing that his own brother's widow should be off-limits.) Just a couple of weeks later they are engaged and neither Calvin nor Jim is ever mentioned again.

It's horrific how quickly Leela, Tegan and Peri get over their parents dying in a brutal car accident. This was a plot point for when Lisa Hunter was emotionally hurt over the fact that no one seemed to remember her late brother Dan's birthday. This leads to her reminding everyone of him, and stating that he doesn't seem to matter now he's dead. When Robbie Roscoe's fiancée Phoebe was murdered, he gave a touching speech at her funeral about how she was the love of his life. Just hours later he slept with Nancy and within a day was in a relationship with her, Phoebe forgotten. Even Jason said it was "time Robbie found a new girlfriend" - only a month after Phoebe's death. Frame-Up : Many examples. Among others, Freddie Roscoe frames his brother Joe for Fraser Black's murder and then, after Joe is absolved and released, sets up the late Sam Lomax to look like the killer; Maxine is set up for Sienna's attempted murder of Patrick; Silas framed Brendan for Rae's murder; and Justin was framed for Macki's murder. Funny Schizophrenia : Another criticism levelled at the show.

G to I Gullible Lemmings : Even for soap characters, these people are dumb ! Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold : Carmel and John Paul are this compared to the rest of the McQueen family. Ste, Doug and Brendan. M to O Madness Mantra : Spencer, who has an intellectual disability, is prone to breakdowns and sings Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue" over and over again during them. It turns out Warren taught him this when they were children as a way of calming Spencer down. The Man Behind the Man : Fraser to Trevor. At first, viewers were lead to believe that Trevor would be the current Big Bad in Hollyoaks, but it was suddenly revealed that Fraser (who was introduced as a love interest for Sandy, and very little else) is actually his boss. Obviously Evil : Warren goddamn Fox! One-Hour Work Week : Applies to many characters, but particularly noticeable with Leela Lomax; who's ostensibly a firefighter, yet seemingly never goes to work. This drew so much attention from fans that the show decided to Handwave it going forward by having Leela lose her regular working hours due to budget cuts at the fire station.

Only Known by Their Nickname : Mark "Dodger" Savage, David "Bombhead" Burke, David "Ziggy" Roscoe, Martin "Jono" Johnson, Robert "Big Bob" Gupta, Sam "OB" O'Brien, James "Jambo" Bolton, Rory "Finn" Finnigan, Caroline "Nico" Blake Our Ghosts Are Different : Some storylines have involved "Ghosts" who are only seen by one character. In actual fact, they are not ghosts, but are rather figments of the living character's mental state at the time. Most of the time, it's even past characters with the actors reprising their roles as the "ghost". P to S Parental Abandonment : Niall's abandonment by his birth mother Myra McQueen as a baby is the driving force for his murderous actions. Sinead and Finn O'Connor were abandoned by their birth mother Morag because she had extreme postnatal depression with Finn. Charles S'Avage abandoned his son Dennis for the sake of his own medical career. Professional Gambler : Darren, circa 2007. Subverted since. Surprise Incest : Rhys and his half-sister.

Very narrowly averted between Ste and his own long-lost father. Dodger turns out to be the father of his sister's daughter (Nico Blake) because they met as teenagers and slept together with neither aware of the other's identity. Surprise Pregnancy : Tegan Lomax is introduced going into labour with no idea that she was pregnant. She describes it as "waking up with a baby" Suspiciously Specific Denial : Freddie makes one to Lindsey when she suspects that there's more to Joe's disappearance than him just walking out on her. Suspiciously Similar Substitute : Invoked for Lindsey Butterfield, who is very similar in appearance and name to Lynsey Nolan. This was soon revealed to be storyline related, as it lead to Dr Browning's Sanity Slippage as he became convinced that Lynsey (who he had murdered) was haunting him. Played with in Porsche McQueen, whose name suggests her to be this for Mercedes. Porsche is not much like Mercedes personality-wise, but often compared to her by other characters, and they are so close in appearance that Porsche can successfully pose as Mercedes when the family investigates Mercedes's disappearance and presumed murder.

Swing Low, Sweet Harriet : Tilly Evans and Nico Blake both have this as their spot in the opening titles. Nico's opening title could also be viewed as Trauma Swing . Switched at Birth : Tegan discovers that she and Diane had their babies accidentally switched in the hospital (due to the midwife being drunk on duty), meaning Rose is really Diane's baby and Dee Dee is Tegan's. T to Z Taking the Bullet : Ste leaps into the path of the out of control minibus to save Leah (who had stepped out in front of it), leading to the infamous bus crash disaster. Taking You with Me : Silas is dying, which is a huge factor in him trying to add more murders to his list. Teacher/Student Romance : Schoolteacher Becca and the then 16-year-old Justin's relationship. Jen Gilmore and Tilly Evans Nancy and Robbie had a brief affair after she replaced John Paul as the English teacher at Hollyoaks High. Finn and Sinead O'Connor's father began his relationship with their stepmother Diane when she was 15 and he was her teacher. Teen Pregnancy : Amy Barnes (Twice) and Cindy Cunningham. Also Theresa McQueen.

12 year old Amber Sharpe. Sadly, Truth in Television , these days, proving this is a Justified Trope . While not shown on screen, Myra McQueen had four children while still in her teens: she gave birth to Niall at age fourteen, Jacqui at fifteen, Mercedes at sixteen, and Tina at nineteen. Sienna Blake and Leela Lomax both gave birth at age 14, initially leading Sienna to believe that Peri Lomax is her own missing daughter Sophie. Peri herself later gets pregnant at 14 too. Esther is introduced as Frankie's granddaughter on the premise that Frankie had another son she didn't know about; she had got pregnant as a teenager but, because of the mores of the day, her parents had the baby adopted and told Frankie he had died.

Esther becomes a borderline example when she gets pregnant as part of a surrogacy agreement with Trevor and Grace: she's 19 (making her a legal adult in the UK) and has already finished school, but it's pointed out to her repeatedly that she is very young to be a surrogate mother, and most of her friends and family seem to believe that she isn't mature enough to go through with it. Sinead became pregnant with Rhys' child when she was in her mid teens. invoked The Cast Showoff : Abi Phillips was asked to join the cast after penning a song called 'Missing You' for her favourite character, Steph. It was used during her final scene. As an amazing singer, her character Liberty gets the opportunity to sing in show. Unfortunately it's clear that the Hollyoaks bosses only hired her for her singing. invoked Summer Shaw, played by (and named after ) West End star Summer Strallen. To promote Strallen taking over in the lead role of Maria in Andrew Lloyd Webber's adaptation of The Sound of Music , the character was written into the show for a storyline where she successfully auditions for Lloyd-Webber and is cast as Maria.

Accordingly, she got plenty of opportunities to show off her talents. Theme Naming : The original McQueens tended to have Catholic names. The three Lomax girls are named after Doctor Who companions. The names of Ste's three children are a Shout-Out to Star Wars . There Are No Therapists : But when they do show up, they are awful. Despite her coming across as more pissed off than psychotic, Sienna somehow managed to convince a psychiatrist that Nancy is not only mentally unstable, but has repeatedly attempted suicide and with zero proof to back it up. Tomboy : Nico seems to consider herself one. Wholesome Crossdresser : Kris Your Cheating Heart : Ethan began seeing Theresa behind his fiancée Liberty's back. They were found out, and Theresa and Liberty vowed to never let a man come between them again. Then Ethan starts seeing them both at the same time, and has to make up elaborate excuses to stop them from knowing about one another. Then he starts going out with Rae as well, which is when they finally figure out what's going on. All three then get their revenge. Mercedes could be the queen of this trope.

While going out with Malachy, she slept with his brother Kris, and she also slept with a random stranger before deciding to marry Malachy. While married to him, Mercedes then sleeps with Calvin, who is engaged to her own sister Carmel. After Malachy dies, Mercedes swiftly moves on to Riley, and then sleeps with both him and his father. She also kisses yet another ex while pregnant and on her honeymoon. You're Not My Father : Peri refuses to acknowledge Leela and Cameron as her parents (though they are her biological parents) and uses this line on them many times. :: Indexes ::

Question: In which soap opera did Summer Strallen appear, before playing Maria in "The Sound of Music" in the West End?
Answer: HOLLYOAKS